HIS 315K Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: The Columbian Exchange, Dogs In Warfare, Columbian Exchange
Document Summary
Columbus died thinking there were 3 worlds, he did not know he discovered the 4th world. America was already settled and old for years. Middle ice age led to shifts amongst people, which also made upper latitude cities shift south for mesoamericans, to warmer climate. Virgin soil epidemic suggests that by 1492, much of western hemisphere had been isolated from old world diseases. So when explorers came, they brought those diseases and killed native. Once settlers started moving west, they faced more indians. Critical staple food production > certain food was made very successfully in southern migration. Massive irrigation by mesoamericans led to great cities built by controlling water, which made them into strong empires of latin america. Cortez used war dogs to attack and spread fear and chaos among aztecs. Aztecs made many enemies from previous conquests. Cortez used those enemies, and used less of his men.
